Grinder and disintegrator



4 May 20, 1930- E. w. SCHULTZ ET AL 1$759,245

GRINDER AND DISINTEGRATOR Filed May 4, 1929 2.,Sheets-Sheet l May 20, 1930. E. w. SCHULTZ E AL v 1,759,245

GRINDER AND DISINTEGRATOR Filed May 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN SCHULTZ AND FRANK D. BANHAM; OF IE'ALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA; SAID BAN-HAM ASSIGN'OR 'LO SAID SCHULTZ GRINDER Arm nrsm'rnenaron Application filed May 4, L929. Serial 11 0.. 360,372.

This invention relates to a machine for pulverizing, grinding or disintegratingsolid or semi-solid materials such as those employed in pharmaceutical, biological and medical work. The apparatus is particularly applicable to all work which is ordinarily performed by hand with a mortar and pestle.

In the disintegration of fibrous materials such as herbs, grasses and tissues for pharma- 10 ceutical or biological work, it has been necessary to grind or disintegrate the materials by hand in a mortar. Materials of the character stated are disintegrated or reduced to a fine state of division with great difficulty, and

often require manual grinding for periods of several hours. This method of reducing materials to a fine state of division is not only tiresome, but time consuming.

It is an object of this invention to disclose and provide a device which will automatically grind and disintegrate materials to a fine state of division, quickly and automatically It is another obj ectof this invention to disvclose and provide amechanism which will automatically subject material being ground orv disintegrated to conditions of pressure'and manipulation Comparable to those employed when such materials are manually disintegrated or ground. 7 I

Another object is to disclose and provide a compact, portable, grinding and disintegrating apparatus capable of reducing fibrous and muscular tissues to a state of fine division. Another object is to disclose and provide a grinding and disintegrating apparatus in which the grinding elements are yieldably urged together.

()ther objects, uses and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of two preferred forms of the invention. In describing the preferred forms of the apparatus embraced by this invention, referencewill be. had to theappended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of apparatus, the cover or hood being removed.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the apparatus shown in; Fig, 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form. of apparatus. I Y

Fig. 45 is a side; elevation of the apparatus 7 shown in Fig; 3. 7

Referring to Fig. 1 the apparatus-may include a base 1, upon'which a pedestal 2 may be. mounted. The entire apparatus may be tition or'floort supported from the base; 1 on suitable piillars 5. The floor 4: may separate a. driving means from the grinding or disintegrating chamber, the hood 3 permitting the grinding or disintegration to be carried to impartmotion to the worm wheel 10 and shaft. 6. As shown in 1 and 2-, the worm 11 and the horizontal shaft 12' may be direct- 1y driven by an electric motor 13- attached to the base 1.

Preferably, means for causing a relative terials to be ground are contained and a grinding means. are provided. Such means of eccentrically disposed ap'er-' enclosed within a hood 3 resting upon a par- 'erabl'econtact with the Worm wheel 10' so as motion between a receptacle in whichthe Inav may take the form illustrated inFig's. 1 and 2, in which a platen 14 is preferably mot ably positioned above the disc 8", and operably connected thereto by means of a pin 15 positioned in one of said eccentric apertures 9 and journaled in an aperture formed in the platen 14;. The platen 14, may be provided Witha bifurcated end provided with a guide 16,, i said guide or slot 16. cooperating with a fixed pin 17 attached to. the pedestal 2 or toSOIne other immovableportion of, the apparatus.-

. Friction reducing means may be positioned between the: disc Sand the platen 14. For example, rollers 18 may be rotatably journaled in the disc 8., the rollers 18 extending I 1 above the top surfaceof the disc and contacting with the lower surface of the platen 14.- Instead of the rollers 18, ball or other suitable bearings maybe introduced betweenthe'idisc 8 and the platen 14. W

A receptacle for the materials to be ground may be positioned upon the platen 1a and 'held immovably thereon. For example, the mortar 19 maybe retained between upwardly extending fingers attached to the platen v16L. Means for adjustably positioning a grinding means with respect to the receptacle may be provided, said means including, for example, a vertical rod 21' on which aclamp 22 maybe adjustably positioned. The clamp 22 may be provided with an elastic extension or connecting member-23, bearingat itsouter V end 'a clampf24 provided with a tightening screw 2 5 adapted to grip a pestle26.

The above mechanism permits the disintegration and reduction to a state of fine division of cellulosic fibrous and other difiicultly disintegratedmaterials. The driving disc 8 imparts'an eccentric motion to the platen 14 and to thereceptacle or mortar 19 .held thereon. The-grinding means or pestlev 26 may be adjustablypositioned so asto contact operably with the material within the receptacle 19 by adjusting the clamps 24 and 22. Furthermore, the pestle 26 vislyieldably urgedtoward the grinding surface ofthe receptacle-19 by: the flexible or elastic arm 23 which may be made of spring steel, rubber,

composition or an assemblage of wood,

springs, etc. V

Theeccentricity of the relative movement 7 between the pestle '26 and. the receptacle 19 maybe adjustably variedby changing the location of thepin 15 and by changingthe location ofthe pin 17 with respect to the vertical axis ofthe shaft 6. V

Thereceptacle 19 doesnot move. in a circle, but instead moves through an elliptical or'eccentric course, the oscillation depending upon the location of the pin 17 and the'pin 15, as abovedescribed. Inthis manner the v 1 relative movement of the pestle 26 and the receptacle or mortar 19 maybe easily changed and adjusted, depending upon the character of the material being ground or disintegrated and upon the size of the mortar used.

' A modifiedform of device is shown in Figs.

i 3 and In the modified formjof device the pedestal 2 bears a vertical shaft 6, upon which the worm wheel 10 is mounted and which is driven by ;the"worm1 ,gearil l upon the horiyzontal 's haft 12. The shaft also carriesthe 'ldisc '8 which is also provided with a plurality ofeccen'tric'a-lly spacedapertures9. The pin 30 15 mounted in one ofvsaid apertures 9 of the .disc 8 may be journ'aled in a platen 27pm vided with a longitudinal guide 28, which pedestal 2.

" ooperates witha fixed pin 17attached to the A flexible elastic or yieldingarm 29 my be attached tothat end of the platen 27' opposed to the end in which the pin 15 is journaled, the member 29 terminating in a clamp 24 adapted to grip and a support a grinding means or V pestle 26.

The grinding receptacle or mortar 19 may i be clamped into position upon the. base v1 or be held in place by means of fingers 30 extending upwardly from the base 1. The fingers 30 may be rubber covered so as to prevent the mortar 1-9 from slipping. I V

The modified form shown in'Figs. 3 and 4 also permits a relative movement between the platenor receptacle in which the material to be ground or disintegrated is con-v tained and the grinding means, and allows r the grindin g means to be yiel finely ground in a relatively short period of time'und'er sterile conditions, by employing sterilized mortars and pestles and operat- U An apparatus of the character described I ing these under a hood or cover-of the character shown in Fig. 2. desired,a glass door or cover 31 may'beprovi'ded in the top ofthe hood 3 so asto facilitate inspection and 90 adjustment'of the grinder and of the material being treated.

The apparatus is very'compact, portable andreadily adjusted and cleaned.

It is tobe understood that theinvention is not'limited to the particular combination and arrangement of elements described in detail hereinabo ve and shown in considerable detail in the drawings. Broadly considered the invention relates to means for producing an oscillatory motion between grinding means and means for yieldably or flexibly supporting a grinding means. The invention includes all such changes and'modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims. We claim:

1. In a grinding and disintegratingap paratus the combination of a driving disc,

means for driving said disc,"a platen movably positioned above said disc, a pin eccentrically mounted in said disc and journaled in said platen, being provided with a? guide adapted to slidably cooperate with aMfiXed pin, a substantially stationary grinding member, and a complementary grinding member. in operative contact with said first grinding member and actuatedjby said platen. V V 2. In a grinding anddisintegrating apparatus the-combination of a driving disc. means f for driving said disc, a platen movably' po-" sltloned above sa1d disc, an eccentric [driving connection between said disc andplatenfsaid platen being provided with a guide adapted tos'lidably cooperate with a fixed pin, a receptacle carried by said platen, and means for operatively positioning a grinding means with relation to said receptacle, including means for yieldably urging said grinding means in contact with said receptacle.

3. In a grinding and disintegrating apparatus the combination of a driving disc, means for driving said disc, a platen movably positioned above said disc, an eccentric driving connection between said disc and platen, said platen being provided with a guide adapted to slidably cooperate with a fixed pin, a receptacle carried by said platen, and means for operatively positioning a grinding means with relation to said receptacle, including means for causing said grinding means to eX- ert a predetermined pressure upon said receptacle. 1

4. In a grinding and disintegrating apparatus the combination of a pedestal, a vertical shaft journaled in said pedestal, a driving disc carried on the upper end of said shaft, means for driving said shaft, a platen movably positioned above said disc, said platen being provided with a guide adapted to slidably cooperate with a fixed pin, an eccentric driving connection between said disc and platen, a grinding receptacle carried by said platen, means for adjustably positioning a grinding means in operative contact with said receptacle, said means including means for causing said grinding means to exert a predetermined pressure upon said receptacle, and a removable cover over said grinding means, receptacle and platen. I

5. In a grinding and disintegrating apparatus the combination of a pedestal, a vertical shaft journaled in said pedestal, means for driving said shaft, a driving disc carried on the upper end of said shaft, a plurality of apertures eccentrically spaced in said disc, a platen movably positioned upon said disc, said platen being provided with a guide adapted to slidably cooperate with a fixed pin, an adjustable driving connection between said disc and platen, a grinding receptacle removably positioned upon said pla'ten, means for adjustably supporting and positioning a grinding means in operative relation with said receptacle, said means including an elastic member adapted to permit said grinding means to exert a yieldable pressure upon said receptacle. v

6. In a grinding and disintegrating apparatus, the combination of a driving disc,

means for driving said disc, a platen movablv positioned above said disc, a pin eccentrically mounted in said disc and journaled in said platen, said platen being provided with a guide adapted to slidably cooperate with a fixed pin, a grinding member carried and actuated by said platen, and'a substantially stationary complementary grinding member yieldably urged into operative contact with paratus, the combination of a housing, a door in said housing, a driving disc within the housing, a platen 'movably positioned above said disc within the housing, a pin eccentrical- 1y mounted in said disc and journaled in said platen, said platen being provided with a guide adapted to slidably cooperate with a fixed pin, a substantially stationary grinding member, a complementary grinding member in operative contact with said first grinding member and actuated by said platen, and means positioned exteriorly of said housing and operably connected to said disc to drive the same.

Signed at Palo Alto, California, this 18th day of April, 1929. EDWIN W. SCHULTZ. FRANK D. BANHAM. 

